Don’t say: 1. I have an offer from your competitor for $45,000. What can you offer me? 2. I know Karen is making $2,000 more than me and I do more work and should get a raise. Instead: 1. I am very impressed by your organization and think the mission very much aligns with my core values and goals. I know I can make an impact for your organization and will continue to surpass sales quotas for you just like I did during my internship with XYZ. I would very much like to work for you but have just been offered a higher salary at another organization. Would it be possible to increase the salary for this position to allow me to accept? 2. I have been working in this position for two years and have received exceptional reviews each year in addition to surpassing my sales goals each quarter. Due to my dedication and achievement in this role, I would like a 10% raise so that my salary better reflects the caliber of my contributions.
Points of Negotiation
Salary is only one area that may be negotiated and often and the employer will have less flexibility in your salary offer than you would like. In these situations, it is important to consider the rest of the compensation package may be more flexible for negotiating.
Some common benefits and if they may be negotiable: Possibly negotiable • Flexible work schedule/work from home • Relocation costs • Professional development opportunities • Organization membership costs • Tuition reimbursement • Company phone • Stock options • Company supplied car • Parking spot
Not typically negotiable: • Health insurance • Retirement accounts • Vacation day/ annual leave • Maternity/paternity leave
Determine what benefits would be most helpful for you to negotiate if the salary is not an area that can be adjusted.
Look at these benefits and learn as much as you can about each of them to determine their value to you in this process. For some of you, parking spots are not important, but in cities, this could be a large expense. Health insurance and retirement may not be at the forefront of your mind now, but can be a huge difference in your life over the next few years. Unfortunately, insurance and retirement are not typically able to be negotiated because they are standardized and packaged in bulk for organizations. Determine what benefits would be most helpful for you to negotiate if the salary is not an area that can be adjusted. Often costs associated with these benefits come from a different account in an organization and there is more flexibility in the spending making it easier for an employer to agree. ©2021 University Career Center
